SANFORD — Goodall Hospital and Southern Maine Medical Center (SMMC) announced on Tuesday the formation of a new parent corporation — Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC), which is now the York County member of MaineHealth.

Goodall Hospital and SMMC will remain separate organizations at this time and each will maintain their own operations and medical staff. However, through their partnership within SMHC, both organizations will "begin working closely together to develop integrated services and operations which will enhance patient care, control the rising cost of health care, and improve the health of people in the communities they serve," Goodall Hospital stated in a news release.

While SMMC has been a member of MaineHealth since 2009, Goodall Hospital received regulatory approval for membership last month; this development led the two organizations to consider how a partnership might benefit Sanford and Biddeford and the other communities both hospitals serve.

"Goodall Hospital is very excited to become a part of MaineHealth through this new partnership with SMMC and Southern Maine Health Care," Goodall Hospital President and CEO Patsy Aprile stated. "We see this as a major step forward for our community and our health care programs. Now we can collaborate to provide the best health care services for our patients."

Goodall Hospital's and SMMC's boards formed SMHC with the intention that both of their facilities will merge in about a year. In the months ahead, both organizations will develop a plan as to how they can work as one to best serve their communities' health care needs. For more information visit www.smhc.me.

Ed McGeachey, the president and CEO of SMHC and SMMC, noted that the new partnership is consistent with more than 85 percent of hospitals in the nation that are a part of networks.

"By joining forces with other members of MaineHealth, SMMC has already been able to save millions of dollars through large group purchases of supplies and technology and shared resources and expertise," McGeachey said. "We have also been able to bring valuable services to our community, such as MedAccess, which has helped local people save over $5 million in prescription drug costs."

Such benefits are of the sort that one independent health care organization would not be able to offer on its own, he added.

"Simply put, by working together as a member of MaineHealth, SMMC and Goodall will be able to do more for all our York County patients and be more cost efficient at the same time. And that's the goal as Southern Maine Health Care," he said.

Members of Southern Maine Health Care's board of trustees include Chair Bernard Gaines, of Saco; Vice Chair Ted Hissong, of Kennebunk; Treasurer Brad Paige, of Kennebunk; Secretary Merilee Perkins, of Shapleigh; Robert Bauman, of Kennebunk; Lori Ann Black, of Springvale; Donald Burgess, MD, of Kennebunkport; Michael Carroll, MD, of Kennebunkport; Jennifer Cutts, MD, of York; Joan Fink, of Old Orchard Beach; William Frank, MD, of Sanford; Frank Goudreau, DO, of East Waterboro; Richard Hull, III, of Lyman; Mark Mickeriz, of Wells; David Nickerson, of Sanford; Mary O'Hare, MD, of Kennebunk; Robert Quentin, of Saco; Gina Quinn-Skillings, MD, of North Yarmouth; Robert Reinken, of North Berwick; and John Thompson, DO, of Kennebunkport.

McGeachey and William Caron, the president and CEO of MaineHealth, serve as ex-officio members of the board.

Goodall Hospital is a 58-bed acute care hospital on June Street in Sanford. The organization has four eldercare sites and services, and primary care in services in Sanford, Kennebunk, and Waterboro. Founded in 1928 by the Goodall family, the hospital today offers state-of-the art health care services and serves as the primary health care resource for the community. Goodall Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, which last month honored the organization as a 'Top Performer' in the nation in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, pneumonia, and surgical care. The hospital is licensed by the State of Maine. To learn more, visit www.goodhospital.org.

Southern Maine Medical Center (SMMC) is a 150-bed acute-care medical center in Biddeford that offers clinical care and a multispecialty physician services group with medical offices providing outpatient care in Biddeford, Kennebunk, Old Orchard Beach and Saco. Non-emergency care is available without an appointment seven days a week at the hospital's walk-in care center in Saco. SMMC also is Joint Commission accredited and state-licensed. To learn more visit www.smmc.org.